Electronic processing device having a menu interface

Abstract

A regular menu item arrangement is made available to a user by providing a hierarchy menu including a layer from which an object is selected and a layer from which a predicate is selected, leading to an improvement in operability. The layer of the object menu and layer of the predicate menu may be respectively made higher and lower in a hierarchy, or vice versa. Both of the menus may be switched. Additionally, menu items of a plurality of hierarchies are combined into one item according to a use history, etc., and the combined item is provided as an item of a higher-level hierarchical menu, so that a high-speed input is realized and operability is improved. Furthermore, menu items are varied according to the attributes of a user, such as age, gender, etc., thereby improving operability.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electronic processing device having a menu interface, comprising: 
 a displaying unit displaying an object menu including one or more objects as selectable menu items;    a selecting unit selecting an object from the object menu displayed by said displaying unit; and    a managing unit making said displaying unit display one or more predicates corresponding to the object selected by said selecting unit as selectable menu items.    
     
     
         2 . The electronic processing device according to    claim 1   , wherein 
 said managing unit manages a correspondence between each object belonging to the object menu and a predicate corresponding to each object.    
     
     
         3 . An electronic processing device having a menu interface, comprising: 
 a displaying unit displaying a predicate menu including one or more predicates as selectable menu items;    a selecting unit selecting a predicate from the predicate menu displayed by said displaying unit; and    a managing unit making said displaying unit display one or more objects corresponding to the predicate selected by said selecting unit as selectable menu items.    
     
     
         4 . The electronic processing device according to    claim 3   , wherein 
 said managing unit manages a correspondence between each predicate belonging to the predicate menu and an object corresponding to each predicate.    
     
     
         5 . An electronic processing device having a menu interface, comprising: 
 a displaying unit displaying a noun menu including one or more nouns as selectable menu items;    a selecting unit selecting a noun from the noun menu displayed by said displaying unit; and    a managing unit making said displaying unit display one or more verbs corresponding to the noun selected by said selecting unit as selectable menu items.    
     
     
         6 . An electronic processing device having a menu interface, comprising: 
 a displaying unit displaying a verb menu including one or more verbs as selectable menu items;    a selecting unit selecting a verb from the verb menu displayed by said displaying unit; and    a managing unit making said displaying unit display one or more nouns corresponding to the verb selected by said selecting unit as selectable menu items.    
     
     
         7 . An electronic processing device having a menu interface, comprising: 
 a switching unit instructing a first display mode or a second display mode;    a displaying unit displaying an object menu including one or more objects as selectable menu items if the first display mode is instructed by said switching unit, and for displaying a predicate menu including one or more predicates as selectable menu items if the second display mode is instructed by said switching unit;    a selecting unit selecting a menu item from the object menu or the predicate menu displayed by said displaying unit; and    a managing unit making said displaying unit display one or more predicates corresponding to an object selected by said selecting unit as selectable menu items in the first display mode, and for making said displaying unit display one or more objects corresponding to a predicate selected by said selecting unit in the second display mode.    
     
     
         8 . The electronic processing device according to    claim 7   , wherein 
 a first switch button for switching a display mode from the first display mode to the second display mode is arranged in the object menu, and a second switch button for switching the display mode from the second display mode to the first display mode is arranged in the predicate menu, and wherein    said switching unit instructs the display mode according to a selection of the first switch button or the second switch button.    
     
     
         9 . The electronic processing device according to    claim 7   , wherein 
 said displaying unit displays a selection menu for selecting the first display mode or the second display mode, and wherein    said switching unit instructs a display mode by using the selection menu.    
     
     
         10 . An electronic processing device having a menu interface, comprising: 
 a managing unit managing menu data defining a configuration of a hierarchical menu;    a displaying unit displaying a menu according to the menu data managed by said managing unit;    a selecting unit selecting menu items from a plurality of hierarchies; and    a registering unit registering to the menu data a menu item defined by a combination of the menu items selected by said selecting unit.    
     
     
         11 . The electronic processing device according to    claim 10   , further comprising 
 a deleting unit deleting the menu item registered by said registering unit from the menu data managed by said managing unit.    
     
     
         12 . The electronic processing device according to    claim 11   , wherein 
 said registering unit determines whether or not to register to the menu data the menu item defined by the combination of the menu items selected by said selecting unit according to an interaction process, and wherein    said deleting unit determines whether or not to delete the menu item registered by said registering unit from the menu data according to an interaction process.    
     
     
         13 . The electronic processing device according to    claim 10   , wherein 
 said registering unit determines whether or not to register to the menu data the menu item defined by the combination according to use states of the menu items selected by said selecting unit.    
     
     
         14 . The electronic processing device according to    claim 11   , wherein 
 said deleting unit determines whether or not to delete the menu item registered by said registering unit from the menu data based on attributes of registered menu items.    
     
     
         15 . An electronic processing device having a menu interface, comprising: 
 a managing unit managing menu data defining a configuration of a menu corresponding to a category to which a user belongs;    an obtaining unit obtaining a category to which a user belongs;    an identifying unit identifying a menu corresponding to the category obtained by said obtaining unit from among the menu data managed by said managing unit; and    a displaying unit displaying the menu identified by said identifying unit.    
     
     
         16 . A method providing a menu interface, comprising: 
 displaying an object menu including one or more objects as selectable menu items;    selecting an object from the object menu; and    displaying one or more predicates corresponding to the selected object as selectable menu items.    
     
     
         17 . A method providing a menu interface, comprising: 
 displaying a predicate menu including one or more predicates as selectable menu items;    selecting a predicate from the predicate menu; and    displaying one or more objects corresponding to the selected predicate as selectable menu items.    
     
     
         18 . A method providing a menu interface, comprising: 
 managing menu data defining a configuration of a hierarchical menu;    displaying a menu according to the menu data;    selecting menu items from a plurality of hierarchies; and    registering to the menu data a menu item defined by a combination of the selected menu items.    
     
     
         19 . An electronic processing device having a menu interface, comprising: 
 displaying means for displaying an object menu including one or more objects as selectable menu items;    selecting means for selecting an object from the object menu displayed by said displaying unit; and    managing means for making said displaying unit display one or more predicates corresponding to the object selected by said selecting means as selectable menu items.    
     
     
         20 . An electronic processing device having a menu interface, comprising: 
 displaying means for displaying a predicate menu including one or more predicates as selectable menu items;    selecting means for selecting a predicate from the predicate menu displayed by said displaying means; and    managing means for making said displaying means display one or more objects corresponding to the predicate selected by said selecting means as selectable menu items.